Leaders make progress toward Southside annexation to city of Oroville

Oroville >> After decades of talks and disappointments, efforts to annex the Southside neighborhood to Oroville are moving forward and the final process could formally begin by October, officials said.

Last week, city staff and Mayor Linda Dahlmeier met with Butte County Supervisor Bill Connelly and Local Agency Formation Commission executive officer Stephen Lucas to talk about the process.

"Our plan is to have the resolution to begin the annexation process on the October agenda," Dahlmeier said recently. "The city and the county have been working on this for several years, independently, but we have finally come together to make it happen."

Dahlmeier added it has taken a lot of work to get where they are now.

Southside Pastor Kevin Thompson was invited to attend, and was encouraged about the October goal.

"Promises in the past have been made for annexation and have been rescinded," said Thompson in a phone interview Wednesday. "At this stage we had the opportunity to sit with the county and city. We feel encouraged that everything is going to go as planned."

According to Lucas, the group discussed a number of variables, but nothing was put into writing.

"The meeting was an opportunity to walk through the process and timelines that have to occur in order to get to the point where the city could adopt a resolution," he said.

He has been part of the discussion on annexing Southside since 1995.

There are three ways to initiate an annexation. One is for the city to approve a resolution to go forward. The second is for property owners to collect signatures and submit a petition directly to LAFCO. The third is rare, where another agency that would be affected initiates the process, Lucas explained.

Last year, Connelly asked the supervisors to initiate the annexation process. He grew up in Southside and has been advocating for annexation for several years.

The supervisors agreed to move forward with a study, which was reportedly delayed due to the death of the person working on it.

The study is expected to be completed this week for administrative review and should be available to the public around June 1, Lucas said.

Connelly couldn't be reached, but in a phone message said the mayor agreed in principal to an annexation of the core of south Oroville, the main neighborhood.

The city would also like to annex the areas east of the core neighborhood, concurrently and separately, he said.

"My goal after years of trying is to get this done by November," Connelly said.

He also said he thinks it's "disingenuous" to avoid annexation of Oroville's poorest neighborhood. City limits wrap around it on three sides and extend well beyond it.

"It's the greatest thing that could happen to us for our community and the best place to put efforts toward rehabilitation," Connelly said.

While the county and city work toward efforts to complete a formal resolution requesting annexation, people in the neighborhood aren't waiting around. They're taking their own steps toward petitioning annexation.

Two groups, Friends of Southside and Southside Vanguard, are getting ready to submit a Letter of Intent to Petition, which they'll submit to LAFCO soon, Thompson said.

Thompson said there are actually two applications for annexing two different parts of Southside, to be processed simultaneously.

He also said the feasibility report due this week is also encouraging.

Thompson indicated there is optimism in the community, but also hesitancy.

"We've been let down before," he said. "We don't want to count our eggs before they hatch ... I'm optimistic, but I'm not going to dance in the street until this thing has passed."

To Lucas, the October goal is realistic.

"There are a number of things that have to happen procedurally, but it's not unreasonable," he said.

LAFCO is taking a neutral role and is there to help facilitate the process, Lucas added.

"We've been contacted by the community," he said. "The mayor indicated a strong desire to move forward and Supervisor Connelly has a strong interest. It's combination of a lot of people's efforts."

Once an official application goes to LAFCO, the commission will process it independently and make a recommendation.

"These types of annexations are consistent with both state laws, which we follow, as well as local policies," he said. "The annexation of south Oroville is consistent with all those things.."

Until there is a formal application, there may be some things officials have to work on.

"Generally speaking, this is a favorable step to moving forward on annexation," Lucas said.